Unwelcomed Passion
by nasraDsalvatore
Summary: In simple terms, it's a tale of passion between Damon and Bonnie of the Vampire Diaries. ;
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! I'm Nasra and I'm new to the fanfic community and I love the fanfics I've read so far. Wow! there's so much talent here. This is the first fanfic I've ever written and I just really wanted to share it and get some feedback from you. I absolutely love The Vampire Diaries and this story was inspired by my love for Damon & Bonnie in the tv show. Well this is the first chapter and it is kinda long but I'll continue to write the story depending on your response ;)**

**Ok so the story picks up from the season finale after Damon kisses Elena/Katherine.**

[Disclaimer: All characters used in this fanfic are the property of LJ Smith . No copyright infringement intended]

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Unwelcomed Passion

**Chapter 1**

Damon Salvatore stood motionless on the front porch of Elena Gilbert's house; looking almost stuck in a hypnotic trance that he seemed unable to snap out of. He just couldn't digest what had happened. _Did Elena just kiss me back...passionately__? _He asked himself cocking his head to one side. He let out a groan and simultaneously ran shaky fingers through his soft, midnight locks. He couldn't help the shiver that ran down his spine as he brought his fingers to his lips. _Something isn't right but I can't quite place it,_ he thought as he willed his legs to move. Jumping off the porch, he quickened his steps away from the house, glancing back one last time at the door Elena had disappeared through moments earlier at the bidding of her stunned Aunt.

The night wind carried with it a chilling undertone rustling the leaves on the trees surrounding the Salvatore boarding house. _'What a crazy night'_ grumbled Damon as he fumbled with the ancient doorknob of the mansion he shared with his younger brother, who was fast becoming the last person he wanted to see after the lip-locking incident with Elena. No surprise there at all. Opening the front door reluctantly, he crept into the house praying for his footsteps to be feather-light against the wooden floorboards of the darkened corridor.

"Ok, so far so good" he whispered under his breath after looking into the first few rooms before reaching the staircase which would lead him to the safe haven that was his room. Taking the first three steps up slowly, he mentally registered just how glad he was that he had chosen not to wear his cowboy boots, _Those spurs would have been a bitch right now!_, he smirked, lifting his foot to take the fourth step.

"Hey, where have you been all night. I've been looking for you!"

"WOAH!" Damon grasped the railing just in time before he fell backwards down the stairs. Breathing deeply, he looked up towards the direction his brother's voice had come from. Stefan Salvatore stared down at his brother from the top landing of the staircase with crossed arms, an arched eyebrow and an expression steeped with open curiosity. Nothing ever startled his older brother and somehow his display of mouth-gaping shock was intriguing.

"Are you alright?" Stefan asked, trying to keep the amusement out of his voice.

"Of course, you just surprised me that's all", the older Salvatore replied, turning to head back down the stairs. He let out a soft sound of exasperation as he heard Stefan move to follow him.

They walked into their dimly lit lounge and Damon immediately headed for the indoor bar. Lifting a decanter, he poured some whisky into the two glasses he had laid out, purposely filling his own almost to the brim before turning back to hand the moderately filled second glass to his brother.

For a while, they just drank silently staring into the flames in the fireplace, which triggered both their memories back to the flames that had almost engulfed them just a couple of hours back.

"So...I didn't really get a chance to thank you for saving my life" Damon said, breaking the silence first before gulping down the last remnants of his drink. Enjoying the burning feeling it left in his chest, he poured himself another.

"Thank Bonnie. She's the main reason I don't have an ash filled urn commemorating your untimely death on my night stand", Stefan replied, trying his best to sound contrite. He grinned, satisfied after hearing his brother scoff.

"Stefan trying to make a funny? It must be the smoke you inhaled. Viva La Smoke!" Damon smirked, whirling the liquid in his glass.

Stefan laughed aloud, "Ok seriously, haven't you paid her a visit yet? To thank her?"

"Nope"

"Then where have you been all night?"

Damon couldn't believe he'd walked right into that one. He'd always thought himself to be smart, a genius of sorts, but he was now struggling to find the right words to put his brother's curiosity at rest.

"I, uh...we, I was...", he stuttered

"You were?", Stefan inquired refusing to let it go.

"I went to see Jeremy Gilbert"

"Why?"

"What's with the interrogation? I saw his girlfriend die remember?" Damon snapped, hating the defensive tone of his voice.

"So you went to comfort him?" Stefan asked incredulously.

"Yes! I went to comfort him!" Sensing that his brother was not done with his psychoanalysis and afraid that the conversation would swing toward more dangerous territory, Damon rushed to add, "Listen, I'm going out for a while".

"Where you going?"

Rolling his eyes, Damon turned back, "I'm off to pay homage to my saviour, the witch" He said sarcastically.

"Ah that's good. Hey do you mind grabbing me something to drink on your way back. I'm famished from all the heroic stuff I did tonight"

"You know, as much as I'm grateful that you saved me tonight brother, It's not enough to make me chase squirrels in the forest" Damon threw back as he left the room, gritting his teeth as his brother's laughter followed him out. Gosh! He was feeling guilty as hell and he hated it.

The little witch was still awake. Somehow that didn't surprise him. After what they all had been through tonight, it would take a while for any of them to rest easy. Tearing his eyes from her bedroom window, Damon uncrossed his arms and pushed himself away from the tree he was leaning against to materialise before her front door. Waiting a few seconds, he rang the door bell. He listened attentively, hearing shuffling and light footsteps inside.

Bonnie Bennett opened the door in one smooth languid move and was met by piercing blue eyes. _Slam!_

Damon looked disbelievingly at the wooden carvings on the door. So close to his nose; the gust of air catching him in the face shocked the living daylights out of him.

"Open the door little witch!" he said through clenched teeth, trying but not succeeding to remain calm.

"Ugh just go away Damon!" the disgust clearly evident in her voice, "You're the last creature I want to lay eyes on tonight!"

Taking a deep breath, he counted slowly, backwards from 10. He couldn't understand why she was easily capable of pushing him over the edge like so. Regaining some tiny semblance of calm, he tried again, "Bonnie, I have something say to you"... "It's important" he threw in for good measure.

_It worked_, he mentally boasted as he heard the lock unclick and watched the door creak open slowly. "What the hell do you possibly have to say to me Vamp?" the petite witch demanded.

"Aren't you going to invite me in for some hot chocolate first?" he whispered, his voice suddenly taking on a seductive hue. His eyes travelled lazily over her pretty face before zeroing in on her outfit. _Frog Pyjamas...large googly eyed green frogs on a white canvas!_ The irony of it forced a brief chuckle out of him. She reacted by lifting her chin defiantly. Damon threw back his head and laughed openly.

Bonnie stared dumbfounded at the laughing vampire before her. What in the world was his game? And why they heck was there a feeling bubbling inside her to laugh along with him. Stubbornly refusing to succumb to the urge, she placed her hand on the door, intending to slam the door again in his arrogant, handsome face.

"Bonnie" he said, pushing the door gently before it shut. He looked serious now; all signs of mirth leaving his face, "Let me in. I won't hurt you."

Was that sincerity in his eyes? Actually it wouldn't be the first time she saw it. The first time was this afternoon, when he had caught her in the crowd at the parade. "_Thank you"_ that phrase alone was enough. She lost her struggle, she had believed him then and she believed him now.

"Earth to Bonnie...Hellooo" the vampire waved a hand playfully before her face making her snap out of her trip down short memory lane.

"Come in"

This was crazy. She could not believe what she was doing and was already regretting it when she saw the sinister grin he shot her before purposefully walking passed her through the door.

"Wow! I like it... the old witch...your Grams had decent taste" the vamp said whilst looking around the cosy living room. It was only after meeting fiery green eyes that he realised what he'd said. He groaned inwardly.

"Bonnie...I..."

"What have you come to say to me Damon" her clipped tone indicating her dismissal of anything he wanted to say to make up for his insensitive quip.

Taking in a deep ragged breath, Damon decided to get to the point and be done with this. Why should he care about the witch's feelings anyway? He was only here because Stefan wouldn't let him rest until he did this. Like he'd told Elena...he was no hero. That was reserved for her and his brother and well...the little witch now staring expectantly at him.

Damon cleared his throat, "I came to thank you for helping Stefan save me tonight"

"I did it for Elena"

"Yes, you've said that before and as I also said, I'm still very grateful"

"You're welcome. You should leave"

Damon didn't yield to her command. He just stood still, taking another opportunity to look at her properly, frog pyjamas and all. Her stubbornness was awe-inspiring, the fiery look in her eyes captivating, her loose curls tantalising and her lips...He brought his eyes to focus on them. Well judging from the amount of times she was licking them right now, she should thank her lucky stars she still had them.

Bonnie's breath caught in reaction to the vampire's indecent gaze. She felt naked; every part of her body, giving an unwelcomed quiver ever so slightly in response to the unabashed revelry of his ocean blue eyes.

She jerked backwards as he began to take slow steps towards her, continuing until her back made contact with cold stone wall. He moved closer, invading her personal space and braced his right palm against the wall, inches beside her ear. Taking a deep breath, he inhaled her heady scent, Apples and Cinnamon. Moving his left hand from his side, Damon touched her cheek for the very first time.

"Damon, wh...why are you doing this?"

"Simple" he whispered, moving his lips to her ear, "I want you to stop hating me"

Bonnie struggled to breath, confused at what was happening. Willing it to stop, she brought her palms to his chest and pushed slightly. This move seemed to have had the opposite impact as she watched his lips come crashing down on hers, capturing them in a searing kiss. She would have crumbled to the ground if his arms had not somehow got themselves around her waist and back. For a moment, she just froze, unresponsive, too shocked to even blink but then he did something...something so delicious...he lightly caressed her bottom lip with his tongue and that was it. She gave herself to the moment, tangling her fingers in his hair, deepening the kiss and throwing them into a sea of passion that neither of them knew existed.

~_ding dong_~

The moment was broken. Bonnie opened her eyes. Blinking several times to jog herself back to reality; she shoved the vampire away from her as hard as she could. Damon caught off guard, stumbled backwards. He looked at her dazed, following her with his gaze as she struggled to walk in a straight line to open the front door.

~_Ding Dong_~

"Coming!" she shouted, irritated. Opening the door, she gasped in response to the sight she saw.

"Elena! What's wrong? Did something happen?"

She looked at her best friend's tear soaked face and promptly gathered her in a tight embrace.

"Shhh, tell me what's wrong Elena"

"They're dead...they're both dead" came the tiny, chocked response.


	2. Chapter 2

**Heeey people. First I'd like to apologize for not updating sooner. I've been working on some university stuff. Secondly, I just wanna say thank you so much for your lovely reviews and support. You've really given me a huge confidence boost and put a smile on my face. Someone mentioned something about the italics and I've edited my previous chapter. Thanks for the pointer ;)**

**Ok so here's chapter 2. Really hope you like it and just something for you to think about - not everything is at it seems ;)**

[Disclaimer: All characters used in the fanfic belong to LJ Smith and respective copyright holders. No copyright infringement intended]

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Chapter 2

Bonnie hugged her distraught friend tighter, "Who? Who's dead?" she asked, no longer trying to disguise the panic in her voice.

"Jeremy and...Aunt Jenna", Elena managed between sobs as she buried her head deeper into her friend's arms, hoping to find some form of solace.

Unable to understand the foreboding feeling that ran through her body, Bonnie rummaged through her mind to find something to say, "Elena, come inside, you're shivering". She pulled her sobbing friend inside, shutting the door gently behind her. As they walked slowly to the living room couch, neither girl paid any attention to the vampire watching them from the corner of the room.

Damon couldn't believe what he'd just heard. He continued to listen in on the girls' conversation from where he stood. The little witch was now murmuring words of comfort as Elena began a step by step recollection of what she'd encountered earlier that night.

"I heard a cluttering sound from the kitchen. I didn't think anyone would still be awake but I thought perhaps it was Aunt Jenna waiting up for me" , she paused, taking a deep breath before she continued, "When I pushed open the kitchen door, I peeked in, there was no one inside but I noticed pots and pans lying around. I began picking them up until I reached behind the counter and then I saw her!" she broke down burying her face in her hands.

"Who did you see? Aunt Jenna?" Bonnie asked, clasping Elena's hands.

Elena nodded, "She was lying in a pool of blood. Her body was in such an awkward position" she blinked several times as if trying to blot out the memory, "I couldn't bring myself to get any closer. I just screamed for Jer and ran upstairs to his room. He was in bed. I called out to him several times but he wouldn't answer. I even shook him, he just didn't wake up! He was so cold, so cold and he wasn't breathing... My family is gone Bonnie and I don't know why."

Bonnie struggled to control her own emotions, even as the tears welled up and burned her eyes, she wouldn't let them fall. She needed to be strong for her friend right now. She also knew that there was nothing she could do to soothe Elena's pain. All she could do was to be right here, holding her for as long as she needed. Hugging her friend tight, she finally looked at the vampire, who was pacing slowly, a phone plastered to his ear. She only caught his last urgent words, "get here quick!"

With what only seemed a few minutes, Stefan Salvatore was being invited into the house; "How is she Bonnie? Where is she?" he asked in a broken voice, frantically looking around the front room.

"She's just fallen asleep" Bonnie whispered, indicating to the couch.

He rushed over to the couch and knelt beside it. Lifting a shaky hand, he smoothed her soft hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "I'm taking her home with me", he said, looking in turn at his brother and Bonnie, before scooping up his sleeping girlfriend and heading out the front door.

They were once again alone. Bonnie sank to the floor, finally releasing all the pelted up emotions within her. Uncontrollable violent sobs overtook her small body, leaving her feeling numb and empty. Suddenly, she was no longer on the hard marble floor. Feeling something cool against her cheek, she opened her eyes, the realisation hit her slowly. She was cradled in the strong arms of Damon Salvatore. Her head was resting on one of his broad leather clad shoulders.

"Let me down!" she screamed, trying to squirm out of his strong grip.

Damon was caught off guard by her sudden outburst. What was happening? Can't she see that all he wanted was to comfort her somehow? He hated seeing her like this.

"Shhh, Bonnie. You don't have to pretend anymore. Not in front of me", he whispered ignoring the blows of her fists on his chest. Gosh! She was a persistent little one. She just wouldn't let up. Making a reluctant sound, he lowered her feet gently back to the floor.

"Get out!" she screamed as soon as she was out of his reach.

"Bonnie, why are you being like this?", he asked, confusion etched on his gorgeous face.

"What? How can you even ask me that? If you and your vampire brother hadn't rolled into my friend's life, our lives wouldn't have been a constant nightmare!"

"Are you blaming us for this?" Damon couldn't control the rage bubbling up inside him. She was being irrational. And while he wanted to make excuses for her, he couldn't. Her words hurt him and that pissed the hell out of him.

"Don't you see? All you've brought to this town is misery! My Grams is gone and now Elena's Aunt and little brother have been added to the list of innocent lives lost because of you!" her voice suddenly turned dangerously frosty, "You should leave".

Damon opened his mouth to say something but closed it immediately without generating any sound. Her last three words were laced with menacing anger. His chest tightened involuntarily after reaching one final conclusion. Bonnie Bennet hated him and there was nothing he could do to change that. After one last prolonged look at her, he turned on his heels and left quietly.

Bonnie couldn't silence the sound of her pounding heart. Slowly she unclenched her fists, wincing when she saw the damage her nails had done to the soft skin of her palm. Moving to a close hanging mirror, she looked at her reflection, not recognising the person looking back at her. A single tear escaped one of her eyes. As she watched it roll down her smooth cheek, she contemplated just how close she had gotten to making a terrible mistake. She wanted to hurt him, physically, and if he hadn't left when he did, she would have. _They should stay away from me_, she thought as she watched another tear run its course, _especially Damon bloody Salvatore!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow! I really can't thank you guys enough for your awesome reviews. I'm so glad you're enjoying the story :) So I'm trying my best to write as quickly as possible. Here's chapter 3. Ok, there's no Bamon action in this part, but the events that take place will definately lead to some intense *ahem* Bamon action. haha. As for Jeremy...ah you just have to wait and see. Hope you enjoy this. thanks for reading ;)**

[Disclaimer: All characters in this fanfic belong to LJ Smith & respective copyright holders. No copyright infringement intended]

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Chapter 3

Stefan placed Elena gently on his large bed. He began tracing butterfly kisses over her delicate face. She sighed aloud but did not rise from her slumber. He hugged her close as he recalled the phone conversation he had with his older brother moments earlier. The gory details had taken his breath away. Who could have been so heartless to snatch away a person's joy with no second thought? Stefan may not have the answer right now but he would stop at nothing to find out. And when he did, he was going to rip the son of a bitch limb by limb.

He was relieved from his vengeful carousing by Elena. She raised herself slowly onto an elbow and looked at him. For a moment she looked confused about how she'd ended up where she was but it quickly disappeared. Stefan was caught off guard when she suddenly caught his face between her hands and kissed him. It was unlike any kiss they'd shared before. This kiss had urgency to it, a need, a hunger and a desperate longing. Clasping the back of her head, he kissed her back, trying his best to keep up. Everything seemed to be going in frenzy and in no time at all, they were both naked caught in an almost animalistic mating ritual.

"Drink from me Stefan", she whispered, breathing heavily, she turning her head to the side, giving him better access to her neck.

"What?"

As if to emphasise her meaning, she brought her hand to her neck and scratched till she drew a little blood, "Here...please. I want the pain to stop. Make me what you are."

Stefan flew off her, "Elena, I know you're hurting but this isn't the answer. How could you even ask me to do something like that?"

"And why not? I don't have anything to live for!" she screamed, her voice turning cold and distant.

"Us! Elena, live for us! I love you more than my own life. How can I take yours?"

She turned away from him for a moment, covering her face. Then rising from the bed she began gathering her clothes.

"Where you going?" Stefan asked, the sadness in his voice went unnoticed.

She dressed silently and once done, moved to make an exit. As she walked out, she finally gave him an answer, "to find someone who will!"

Damon had not left. He watched her house, catching small glimpses of her as she paced before her bedroom window. His anger had not subsided and he was battling an intense urge to barge into her home, take the stairs two at a time and break down her bedroom door. What he'd do to her at that point was something that his imagination was being very creative with at the moment. He growled before jumping down from the tree branch he'd been sitting on for the latter half of the night. It was morning and he was extremely hungry. Working the kinks out of his stiff bones, he looked around the empty street. Feeling irritable he began his journey back to the boarding house. He took the long route, through the woods, secretly hoping he'd find an empty house. He needed time to think, without the interruption of Stefan and Elena's problems. _When did the little witch become important enough for me to even think about? _His thoughts were interrupted by a rustling of leaves behind him. He wasn't alone. Turning round slowly, he visibly relaxed his guard when he saw who it was.

"Elena...What are you doing here? Are you alright?" knowing how stupid that sounded, he quickly added "don't answer the last question"

"Damon, I need you to do something for me"

"What do you need?"

"I need you to turn me"

He seriously would have burst out laughing if he didn't see her determined expression.

"Elena, you don't know what you're saying. What are you doing here anyway and why aren't you with Stefan?"

"Stefan wouldn't do it, so I'm finding someone who will"

"And what makes you think that I'd be willing to partake in this insanity?"

"Don't mock me Damon!"

The chilling tone of her voice made her words sound more like a threat than a mere statement.

"Elena..." he said wearily, "I may be hungry as hell right now but I'm not doing this"

"Why?" she screamed when he started walking away.

Damon began dialling his brother's number. _I knew speed-dial would be useful at some point_, "Stefan, you need to get here pronto!"

As they were not far away from the boarding house, Stefan got there quicker than either of them expected. Damon leaned against a near tree and watched as his brother began his usual earth-shattering confessions of ever-lasting love. He wasn't prepared to listen in on what they were saying, so he gave into his own woes. And majority, if not all of them began with a single name, Bonnie. He could still smell her, taste her. It was all so vivid, driving him crazy. Oh he wanted her alright but nothing more. Damon started blinking several times to come back to reality. _What the fuck just happened?_ He thought incredulously. His brother was lying a few feet away from him, groaning in pain. He'd just been tossed like a sack of wheat against the bark of a tree by...Elena?

Jerking away from the tree, he looked searchingly at the woman standing before him. Her eyes were like liquid fire, so red, with protruding veins.

"Aaaah you two have become no fun at all"

Even as his mouth formed the name, he couldn't quite believe it, "Katherine?"

"Hello boys" she said seductively before flashing them a brilliant set of fangs.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi folks ;) Ok as usual, I just have to start by saying just how much I absolutely love reading your reviews [please keep them coming] and generally how honoured I am that you actually take some time out to read what I write. So here's chapter 4 and I've made it kinda long because after the lack of Bamon interaction in the last chapter, I couldn't leave them out in this one. Sorry though, the whereabouts of Elena won't be revealed in this chapter but you do get a huge hint. Thanks again and hope you enjoy this, mwah xxx**

[Disclaimer: All characters in this fanfic belong to LJ Smith & respective copyright holders. No copyright infringement intended]

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Chapter 4

Stefan stumbled to his feet and came to stand beside his brother. His broken ribs were finally healing but were taking longer than necessary due his lifestyle choice of being anti-human blood. Gripping his side with one hand, he watched in horror as the woman he'd thought was his girlfriend changed before his very eyes. As he heard the single name drop out of Damon's mouth, his mind was already screaming, _No! It's impossible_. Even as he saw her face change into vampiric form, he refused to believe it.

"Pick your jaws up from the ground will you?" she scoffed at them, clearly enjoying the fruits of her enigmatic entrance.

"Katherine?" Damon repeated

"What are you a broken record? Who else would I be? Your weak, human girlfriend?" she snapped moving closer to them.

"Elena. What have you done with her? If you've hurt her...!" Stefan growled, obviously no longer in denial at the mention of his girl.

"She's not dead...yet" she cut him off, sounding bored.

"Where is she?" he growled once again.

"Now what fun would I have if I revealed that to you hmmm?"

"Where is she?" he reiterated moving dangerously close to launching an attack.

She entertained him with a sadistic smile, "She's safe...for now and I'm not sure I like your tone of voice honey. After our night of passion, I was hoping our reunion would be slightly more amicable" she finished with a cute pout.

Damon didn't like what he was hearing, _Night of passion? What the heck was going on?_ He opened his mouth to ask just that but was beat to the punch by his brother.

"You tricked me! Do you really think I'd want anything to do with you had I known?"

Stefan suddenly found himself pinned to a tree, sharp nails digging into his gullet. He chocked.

"You do not speak to me like that Stefan" Katherine said in a low deadly voice, "I can tear you apart before your mind even registers the pain... Uh Uh, Damon I wouldn't do that if I were you"

Damon weighed up the situation briefly before throwing down the sharp edged branch he'd picked up, "Put my brother down!" he seethed.

"Aw, how sweet" she mocked but complied by throwing Stefan down roughly, "Now you sit still like a good boy while I speak to your brother". Turning towards Damon she smirked, "I'm all yours"

Moving at lightning speed, she pounced on him, straddling him, she pinned his arms to the ground above his head.

"Isn't this what you've been longing for?" she whispered in his ear before licking it softly. She noticed him visibly recoil from her touch. Bearing her fangs angrily, she brought her face to his and captured his lips possessively, nipping them, she lapped at them, enjoying the taste of his blood.

Damon gasped in barefaced disgust and mustered enough strength to throw her off him. Jumping up quickly, he gave her a look of pure unadulterated hate!

"Well what have we here? You seemed to have enjoyed my kiss when you thought I was that human girl. How pathetic!"

"Shut up bitch!" he said emphatically, briefly looking at Stefan, who was broodingly watching the proceedings.

"Or is it the witch you prefer? Ah wonder, wonder, what does witch blood taste like?" she sighed, tapping a finger playfully on her pale cheek.

"I don't know what you're talking about. She means nothing to me" he replied instantaneously.

"Oh come on Damon. You of all should know to draw the curtains when you're planning to do the nasty. Imagine if it was really Elena who came ringing?" she said with feigned shock.

Stefan had heard enough. Moving between them, he faced Katherine, legs braced apart, "Cut the crap Katherine and tell us what you want!"

"It's simple. I want you...both of you. You're mine. Always have been and anyone who comes between us, I will erase! I know your weaknesses and I can tap them anytime, anyplace" she paused, gleefully soaking up their dreadful expressions before her final words, "Well toodleloo boys, I have me some major draining to do. All that fake emotional drama has made my insides twitch." And with that, she was gone.

He'd been trying to speak to her for the past hour. Oh yes, the little witch was definitely avoiding him. She'd spoken to each and every living soul at the Lockwood memorial service and was pushing him to the last tether. He wouldn't even be here if he wasn't thinking of her safety. Taking another swig of his drink, Damon watched Bonnie give Tyler Lockwood another comforting hug. _Was that the third one she'd given him today? _He tried hard to focus on Mrs. Lockwood as she droned on about countless non-existent merits of the late mayor but his eyes kept moving back to the petit witch who was looking extremely fetching in her knee-length little black dress. Her rich dark locks were swept up in a cute messy pony-tail, exposing the smooth contours of her neck and shoulders.

She could feel his eyes following her from across the room. Even as she turned her back to him, the awareness was immovable. _Why is he here?_ She thought, as her skin began to tingle. _Is it hot in here? Yes, that's it! The damn air-con isn't on and the room is filled to the brink. I need some air. _Excusing herself from Tyler's company, she waded through the masses of people and left through the back door. The coast was clear. Sighing in relief; she took a deep breath enjoying the floral smells wafting in the air from the expansive Lockwood gardens. She walked a small distance until she came to a bench facing the gardens. She kicked off her painful high-heels and closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of the cool grass beneath her feet and the warmth of the sun on her face. Blissfully unaware that she'd been followed by the same man she was trying desperately to avoid.

"Having fun?" he said nonchalantly, watching as her eyes flickered open.

She let out an irritated groan as she looked reluctantly up at the vampire, briefly taken aback by his unusual attire. Black suit with a tieless white shirt; _he carries it well_.

"I WAS having fun" she said blandly after clearing her throat.

He chuckled as he came closer to her, "May I?" It was more a figure of speech than an actual request for permission, seeing as he was already seated next to her, stretching out his legs comfortably before crossing them at the ankles.

"Mmm this feels great"

"What are you doing here Damon!" she snapped, trying her best to keep her body from touching his. _Why did this bench suddenly feel so damn small_?

Fixing his ice blue eyes on her, he turned his body slightly towards her, "I came to see you but I'm sure you already got that from the innumerable times I had tried to approach you" he explained, refusing to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

"And I don't want to see you but I'm sure you got that from the innumerable times I walked away from you" she threw back.

She watched his jaw twitch a little and inwardly cursed her mouth. Damon Salvatore wasn't someone to mess with and even though she saw some minute goodness in him; she still wasn't convinced. She'd seen what he was capable of and she could vividly recall the feel of his fangs as they had torn mercilessly through her skin.

"Why can't we just get along, little witch?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"Do you want the long list of reasons or the summary?"

Nobody had ever tested his patience as much as she has been doing lately. _She's a gutsy little one, I give her that_. Placing his signature side grin on his face, he decided to play along, "Ok hit me with the long list milady"

With a determined expression, she began counting off the reasons, using her fingers to calculate; "My grams died because of you, innocent people die because of you, you tried to kill me, you hurt Caroline, you're an arrogant ass and...Did I mention that you tried to KILL ME?"

The silence between them stretched forth for what seemed like an eternity before he finally broke it, "You just have to get over that, I'm not the same as I was before. I can't make you trust me, so I'm not going to try."

The tone of his voice made her shudder and she reacted by moving further away from him.

"If you move away any further, you're going to fall off this bench, little witch" he said, the amusement suddenly back in his voice. It amazed her that he could switch his temperament so quickly without so much as a warning.

Standing up abruptly she finally decided what he wanted from her was worthy enough to know.

"What do you want from me, Damon?"

He stood up too and moved closer to her before giving her an answer.

"Your house isn't safe anymore...you're moving in with us"

The absurdity of what he just said made her laugh out loud, "Yah! Very funny, Damon...you should become a stand up. Not sure we have any vamps taking up that vocation"

And with that, she turned around and started walking back towards the Lockwood mansion. She was stopped in her tracks as she collided head on with hard masculine chest._ I hate it that they can do that_. Lifting her chin stubbornly, she looked into his eyes expectantly.

He moved his face closer to hers until his lips were only a breath away from hers, "You must be mistaken, little witch, I wasn't asking."

Bonnie let out an abrupt scream as he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi people! Gosh, sorry I took kinda long to update, been working like crazy. Didn't have time to write. I loved your reviews and some of them made me laugh out loud :D I'm so happy you enjoyed the previous chapters and hope you like this one just as much if not more [fingers crossed]. Thanks 333 **

[Disclaimer: All characters in this fanfic belong to LJ Smith & respective copyright holders. No copyright infringement intended]

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Chapter 5

Damon Salvatore was kidnapping her in broad daylight. Un-bloody-believable! Bonnie had already given up any feeble attempts of convincing him to let her go. His only response had been to ignore most of the incorrigible words she hurled at him and increasing the pressure of his hands on her bare thighs. As if that wasn't enough to turn her face beetroot red, the pace he was moving at was obviously aimed at giving her a severe case of whiplash. Groaning against the nausea bubbling up inside her, she tried to focus her eyes on where they were but gave up instantly. She wasn't left wondering for too long though. Damon came to a halt before the front door of the boarding house but he wasn't prepared to let the little witch down just yet. They were met at the door by Stefan who raised a quick eye-brow at his older brother before moving out of his way as he carried an arms-flailing Bonnie up the stairs.

"Stefan! Tell your bull-headed excuse of a brother to let me go!"

Her appeal fell on deaf ears but she was rewarded by another tight squeeze from her captor as they ascended the stairs.

"Your sharp little tongue will soon put you in a precarious situation little witch".

"Is that a threat?"

"No just a friendly warning" he smirked before entering a room to the right, firmly shutting the door behind them.

"Now will you be a good girl if I let you down?"

Bonnie thought better than to tell him precisely what she intended to do; instead she settled with being civil for now. "Yes", she said in the sweetest voice she could muster.

Taking an excruciating amount of time, he brought his hands to her waist, deliberately sliding her body over the length of his until her feet touched the floor. Keeping his hands where they were, he took in her dishevelled appearance. Somewhere along the way, she'd lost her hair-band. Ignoring her deepening frown, he brushed her loose curls out of her face, using the opportunity to touch her cheek lightly with his index finger. _She's beautiful I'd give her that; Irritating but beautiful._

"You can let go of me now" she whispered, her voice shaking with restrained anger.

"Ah Bonnie, you're not going to be a good girl are you?" he grinned as he dropped his hands.

She stepped back immediately and finally did what she had been itching to do throughout this ordeal. _Slap!_

It certainly had the impact she was hoping for. She watched as his expression changed from amusement, to shock and finally came to rest in annoyance. _Well_ _it seemed like a good idea at the time_, she thought when he reached for her and pulled her roughly against him. His eyes had turned dangerously dark, she noticed.

"You're becoming a little too brave for my taste, Bonnie" he said in a no-nonsense way.

She winced slightly from both his tone and from the seemingly unconscious way his fingers were digging into her arms.

"Why have you brought me here, Damon?" she said firmly, refusing to show him the true effect of his intimidation.

"I'll let Stefan give you the details. Meet us in the lounge." he replied gruffly before releasing her.

Bonnie rubbed her arms gently and watched him make his way purposefully to the door. He paused turning back to her, a callous grin spreading slowly across his face.

"Freshen up will you. You look absolutely...awful"

The echo of his laughter assailed her way after he had disappeared from the vicinity of the room.

Stefan allowed his brother a few moments to pour himself a second drink and gulp it down before finally delving into any form of discussion.

"That bad huh?"

Damon rolled his eyes quickly, "What do you think?"

"What was it you said to me? Ah, you said that you'd manage to convince her without any complications"

"And as you have seen, her pretty little neck is still intact. Honestly, you should be proud of me. I only thought of strangling her twice...Ok five times, now will you stop looking at me like that?"

"You should really have let me be the one who spoke to her first" Stefan sighed.

"Hmm, not sure your broody tortured soul charm would work on her. She's a tough one"

"And you think your forceful underhand method will do the job?"

"Trust me brother. It was necessary"

"Did you say anything to her about why she's here?"

"Nope, told her you'd fill her in. I'd probably forget to be sensitive." Damon grinned when his brother shot him a warning look.

"I'm sure she'll do what we'll ask of her. Elena is her best friend." Stefan said in a firm voice.

Bonnie finally calmed herself down long enough to look around what was supposed to be her new abode. The decor was surprisingly beautiful. The yellow theme gave the room a fresh and bright feeling, which she liked. Somehow, the fact that it was similar to her room back at Gram's house was not surprising at all. There was another door which led to an equally refreshing indoor bathroom. She noticed that it was fully equipped with all she needed for a quick warm shower. Stepping out of the bathroom in a towel, she walked towards the cute white drawers lining one of the bedroom walls. _Just what exactly does he want me to change into?_ She brought her hand to the first handle, pulling it open slowly. An unintentional gasp escaped her lips when something fell out. She stared mouth-gapingly at what was obviously Damon's sick idea of an inside joke. Gritting her teeth, she bent down and picked up the very familiar frog on white canvas pyjamas. Opening the other drawers quickly, she noticed that all her clothes had been kidnapped along with her. _Fine I'll humour him!_ She thought angrily as she quickly put on the pyjamas. The flashback of that night arrived on cue. Trying her best to ignore the warm feeling spreading over her body, she gave her wet curls a quick toss. After a quick silent prayer for patience, she finally felt ready to face the vampires waiting impatiently for her arrival.

"Bonnie" Stefan said as she entered the lounge. The other vampire, she noticed, did not even grace her with a look. She couldn't help but fix her eyes on his back as he continued to stare into the fire place, knocking back drinks. Her line of vision was broken by a smiling Stefan. _How can they be so different?_ She wondered while a smile spread across her own face. Stefan was definitely more the gentleman and no doubt less stress inducing. She followed him as he guided her with his arm to take a seat.

"Drink?" he offered

She nodded, "Anything non-alcoholic?" She was sure she heard a scoff from the fireplace but waved it away. Stefan returned swiftly with a glass of orange juice and handed it to her.

"So why I'm I here Stefan?" she asked after taking a wholesome sip.

"Your life is in danger Bonnie. We brought you here to protect you."

"To protect me, from what?"

He ran a hand through his hair slowly but did not waver from telling her the precise truth.

"Katherine's back in town and she's not here to make friends"

"Katherine? Damon's Katherine? The vampire he was hell bent on releasing?" her eyes quickly drifted to the dark-clad figure, who still insisted on keeping out of the conversation. She sure noticed his shoulders tense up after what she'd just said.

Stefan drew her attention back to him, "Yes, that Katherine"

"What does she want from me? It's not like we've ever met. I don't see why my life would be in danger."

"Actually...you've met before"

Bonnie let out a small laugh, "Oh come Stefan, you really think I wouldn't notice if I met her?"

"You remember the night Elena visited you?"

"Yes. I was just about to ask you. Where's Elena? I haven't seen her since you took her that night. Is she ok?"

"That wasn't Elena. That was Katherine."

"What?"

Stefan watched as her eyes grew larger in utter confusion.

"The woman that visited you that night was not Elena. She was Katherine." Reaching into his back pocket, he handed the single photo to her.

Bonnie looked at the picture and caught a scream that was threatening to escape her throat. She brought it closer to her face, struggling to keep her hand steady. _Katherine 1864?_

"She...she looks...this is impossible!" she whispered still examining the photo.

"No Bonnie. That's Katherine. I'm sorry we didn't tell you this sooner. We just didn't think the occasion would arise."

"This is some sick joke right? I get it...the infamous Salvatore brothers have a sense of humour. That's a fantastic discovery. Now if you excuse me, I need to get going."

Dropping the picture back into Stefan's hand, she stood up and walked towards the door. _Ugh!_ She rolled her eyes and looked up at the angry blue-eyes vampire blocking her path.

"You're not leaving this house, little witch."

"You'll have to kill me to stop me" she said, trying to move around him.

Damon blocked her way again with his arm, "Don't tempt me Bonnie! Remember, I'm capable of doing that given the right motivation. Right now, you're very motivating and yes, this IS a threat!"

"Bonnie, Katherine has Elena"

She tore her eyes away from Damon's and turned slowly to Stefan who had come to stand behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What?" she asked softly.

"She has Elena and she's going to hurt her if we don't do anything"

The sadness in his voice screamed out to her and his eyes suddenly looked moist. If it wasn't for Stefan, all this would still be a complete prank to her. She believed him.

"I have so many questions, Stefan."

"I know and I promise I'll answer all of them but right now, Elena needs us. We can't afford to keep bickering", he looked from Bonnie to Damon.

"Sure. I'd do anything for Elena. Do you know where she's taken her?" she asked, the worry carved on her petit face.

Stefan sighed, his frown deepening, "No, that's where you come in."

"Me? How would I know?"

"You..." Bonnie jerked at the sound of his cool voice. Damon moved in front of her and ran his eyes over her body, before completing his suspenseful sentence, "You are going to bring to us someone who does."

Bonnie raised a questioning eyebrow. A sign that she wanted him to be more specific. He got the hint.

"We want you to summon your grand-witch...Emily"


	6. Chapter 6

**Hiiii people! I'm extremely sorry for not updating in a while. Been working on a project but now I'm done and I sure will update quicker. Ok, so your reviews as usual have made me giddy and I'm smiling like an idiot. Thank you so much :D Ok, so here's chap 6. Hope you like it and please keep the reviews coming and any advice you might have for me. **

[Disclaimer: All characters in this fanfic belong to LJ Smith & respective copyright holders. No copyright infringement intended]

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Chapter 6

"Emily?" Bonnie was astonished, "You can't be serious! Not after what happened last time..." she trailed off after seeing Damon roll his eyes mockingly at her.

"You still insist on not getting over that, little witch, I'm starting to wonder if you enjoyed it...just a little bit," he added, making a hand gesture to match.

Suddenly his amusement was cut short. Doubling over, Damon grasped his head between his hands and moaned against the blinding pain.

Stefan stared incredulously at the display before him. Seeing that Bonnie wasn't ready to let up her hold on his brother, he moved beside her and shook her slightly. She complied immediately, although he was certain he heard her make a small sound of reluctance.

Damon looked through squinted eyes at the witch as he lifted himself slowly off the floor.

"Do that again and I'll have to kill you for real this time," he seethed, still trying to bring the focus back to his eyes.

"Aw, you're still not over that Damon? Wonder if you enjoyed it...just a little bit," she threw back, daring to even imitate the tone he had used.

Stefan was forced to hold his brother back, "We don't have time for this!" he said firmly, "Elena could be hurt right now. I don't have patience to watch your little feud or whatever this is!"

Bonnie smirked at Damon when she saw him mouth a clear, "I'll get you" over Stefan's shoulder.

Damon raised his hands in surrender to show his brother that he was calm again before moving to the bar for a drink. Bonnie followed him with her eyes suspiciously for a moment before turning her attention to Stefan.

"Say I did summon Emily, how can you be so sure that she knows Elena's whereabouts?"

"We go way back with your grand-witch..."

Bonnie sighed indignantly aloud at the older Salvatore's interruption. He continued, ignoring her irritation, "She was Katherine's hand-maid, somewhat, a close friend of hers. If anyone knows of Katherine's diabolical plans, I'd put my money on her."

Bonnie looked at him longer, seeking more information but he shot her one of his own, indicating that he would go no further into the impromptu history lesson.

"Bonnie..." this time it was Stefan who spoke, "I would never ask you to do something like this unless it was the last resort. You don't have to worry, I'll protect you. I promise."

"Aw Stefan, ever the knight in shining armour"

Ignoring the rude interjector over at the bar, Bonnie smiled gently at Stefan, "I'll do it, but..."

"But?" Stefan asked

"But it has to be done tomorrow night"

"Why?"

"Never try to understand the philosophy behind a witch's craft, little brother" Damon said, walking over to place a hand on Stefan's shoulder, "Just nod like so" he demonstrated by moving his head up and down before pointing a finger at Bonnie, "We'll see you tomorrow. Good night."

"Good night" she replied, deliberately looking at Stefan instead.

With only what seemed like a minute, Bonnie was pacing around her new room. Since her recent increased encounters with a certain vampire, sleep eluded her. Her steps faltered when she heard footsteps approaching. They seemed to stop for a moment some way away from her door but started up again purposefully and louder until she was certain the one they belonged to was now positioned directly in front of her bedroom door.

Her breath caught when she contemplated running towards the door and locking it but remembered her earlier discovery that it had no lock. _Damn it!_ She groaned inwardly when she also realised that she was too far away from the edge of the bed to make a dramatic dive for it. It was too late. She was going to face him, whether she liked it or not.

Bonnie's eyes widened in synchronisation with the opening door; before she gulped at the sound of his voice.

"Bonnie Bonnie Bonnie" Damon said sadistically, her name rolling off his tongue easily. It took him just two swift strides to stand before her. He had not cared to shut the door.

"Come any closer Damon and I'll scream" she bit her bottom lip, punishing it for quivering.

"Scream away honey. Your knight isn't going to come galloping in to save you. He's gone out. No doubt, drowning his sorrows through a sport of break-as-many-bunny-necks-as-possible," He laughed...alone. He cleared his throat, "Come on, that was little funny" he said when she continued to look blandly up at him.

"What do you want Damon?"

His face suddenly turned sour. The wonder of how he did that was still raw to her. He took another step forward till he was but a breath away from her.

"I said I would get you, didn't I? I'm a man of my word, Bonnie."

A knot of fear slowly wound itself in the pit of her stomach but her stubborn nature wouldn't allow her to give him the satisfaction of ever seeing her weakness.

"So you've come for revenge?" she said rather than asked. Before he could say anything back, she brought her hand up to her neck and pulled aside her pyjama collar. She tilted her head slightly to give him better access to her sensitive pulse point. Then she shut her eyes and waited for the inevitable to happen. For a long while, she didn't feel anything and why would she when Damon was standing motionless, shocked at what she was doing. Then she felt it. His cool finger was running a path slowly down the length of her neck. For a fleeting moment it was gone but was replaced by something else. _His lips?_ She opened her eyes just a fraction for verification. _Oh God! Yes, it's his lips!_ She shut her eyes tightly again, waiting for the first piercing of his fangs but it never came. He was simply caressing them over her skin but then he began placing gentle yet possessive kisses upwards till he reached her earlobe. Licking it briefly, he whispered in her ear, "You have a stunningly low opinion of me, little witch...I think I like that about you."

Just like that, he moved away, leaving her to find her own balance. He was looking around the room now, like nothing happened.

"How do you like your room? Ah don't answer that. I'm known to have immaculate good taste."

Bonnie stared at the grinning vampire in disbelief, "You do know that you're extremely weird, right?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "I suppose I've been called worse. So why does the summoning have to be tomorrow night? Let me guess, something to do with the moon's position?"

Bonnie's mind raced, trying to keep up with his habit of rapidly changing topics with no warning whatsoever. It was almost like he was always having a one-sided conversation.

"How do you know that?" she finally asked

"Oh I've dated a witch before," he said nonchalantly as he picked up one of the little bottles lined up neatly on her drawer. Removing the lid, he brought it his nose. _Ah apples and cinnamon_.

Somehow, Damon Salvatore sniffing her preferred fragrance was both uncomfortable and sensual. Moving quickly to his side, she snatched it out of his hand.

"Mmm, it smells better on you anyway," he said seductively before chuckling when she looked like a deer caught in the headlights. The blush on her face gave him immense pleasure, enough to try and heighten it.

"Were you hoping that I had a sudden bout of amnesia, little witch?" he chuckled softly when she turned away from him. Coming to stand closer behind her, he moved her loose hair away from her neck before bringing his face down. He took a deep breath in, "Ah you smelt just like this that night. I do remember, Bonnie. Our kiss...and more vividly..." he waited an excruciating long moment for full effect before finishing, "the way you responded to my touch. I wasn't expecting that."

Bonnie turned towards him quickly and shoved him away from her as hard as she could before darting quickly to the other side of the room.

"That will never happen again. You, you said you dated a witch, what happened to her?"

He had to give her props, she was a fast learner. He wanted to push her buttons some more about the kiss but decided against it...for now.

"Well she just got too clingy. Must be a witchy thing, No offence," he grinned, deliberately showing that he did in fact mean to offend.

"Non-taken" she replied, sounding every bit as condescending, "so how did it end?"

"Tragically"

She would never know just how literally he meant that.

"I see...and Katherine, how did you meet her?"

"As much as I love your new found interest in my former girlfriends, I think I'll pass on the interrogation."

"I don't care about your love life Damon. I was...simply wondering about what we're up against," Oh how she wished she wasn't lying.

"Ok, well we're up against a very old and powerful vampire who is extremely pissed off about something and is out to kill us all. So far the cards are decked highly in her favour. Does that satisfy your curiosity?"

Bonnie nodded quickly, "I'm tired. I want to try to get some sleep."

He didn't make a move. "Did you hear what I just said?" she asked

"Yup" he smiled but still stood still.

"That means you need to get out" she said, enunciating each word as if she was speaking to a toddler.

"How inhospitable of you, Bonnie...You're not going to give me a goodnight kiss?"

He ducked just in time before the perfume bottle caught him in the face. Surprisingly, it didn't break when it crashed into the wall and finally came to rest on the cream furry rug spread out on the floor.

"You have a violent complex, little witch, I'm slightly taken aback by it" Moving at lightning speed, he caught her around the waist when she tried to make a dive for the bed. Turning her around in his arms, he placed his forehead on hers and looked deeply into her eyes. He smiled broadly when she closed her eyes and held her breath.

"We're going to have a lot of fun...you and I," he said before suddenly letting her go.

Bonnie yelped as she fell backwards but sighed in relief when she realised she had landed on her bed. She stared at her closed door long into the night. _Fun?_ _That doesn't sound very good._ Groaning, she curled up underneath the soft covers and made a feeble attempt to fall asleep.

Elena Gilbert curled her body into a ball and rubbed her upper arms against the blistering cold. She winced against the pain in her bones as she tried to get impossibly comfortable on the uneven, dirty concrete ground. She didn't know where she was or how she had gotten there. Her last memory was when she arrived home on Founder's Day. Bringing her hand to the dried up gash on the side of her head, she blinked back the tears that burned her eyes. Of one thing she was sure, she had been kidnapped...by a woman. The pitch-black darkness prevented her from seeing how she looked but she always visited twice in the day to bring a measly portion of cold tasteless food. Wrapping her arms tighter around herself, Elena gave in to the overwhelming urge to cry and as her sobs got louder, she whispered one name longingly..."Stefan".


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! :D Hope you're all well. So I'm absolutely over the moon over your recent reviews and I know some of you are a little confused about Damon & Bonnie's relationship thus far. Hmm, let's hope this chapter makes things more clear. Hope you like and please keep the advice and reviews coming. thanks!**

[Disclaimer: All characters in this fanfic belong to LJ Smith & respective copyright holders. No copyright infringement intended]

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Chapter 7

Damon was never the type to brood openly in the face of adversity and this was, is and will always be a mechanism he planned on keeping. Aside from the fact that his brother was doing enough brooding for the both of them, there were far more entertaining ways to relieve all those pelted up emotions and he was an expert at all of them. Feigning indifference, downing glass after glass of Bourbon and a tremendous dose of wicked humour were the easiest; but, an unrivalled favourite of his had to be, preying on some unsuspecting woman or plural and having his way with them; which often consisted of compelling, sex and major draining of blood...in that order. It was much like a game of sport but only more fun because he nominated all its participants, he made all the rules and he had total control over the results. This was second nature to him for the longest time but things have changed and he wasn't completely happy with the impact they were having on his disposition. He was feeling weaker, not physically, oh no, he could still pretty much snap anyone's neck like a twig; he felt weaker on the emotional side. And the reason why seemed to boil down to one person...Elena. She had come to mean more to him than anybody else in such a short amount of time. His feelings were undeniable but he just couldn't put a name to them. _Love_? That's what Isobel had referred them to be but he still wasn't sure; which was what had drawn him to crazily test the waters and kiss her on the porch that night. The kiss was empty and forced from her part. He could easily tell and at that point it left him feeling confused and unquestionably hurt. It was a hidden rejection; a rejection he had thought was from Elena and what he did after that to satisfy his bruised ego had only backfired to make matters worse.

At first, he had made no plans to go in that direction. His intentions were pure, he was there to thank her but one thing led to another. He started wanting to prove something to himself, to Elena. His pride wouldn't let him rest till he showed the world that he was Damon Salvatore...nobody dominated him, nobody rejected him. Everything about her was inviting him, tantalising him to do it. It was like she had her own personal sign attached to her which read 'please prey on me'. Since compelling her was impossible and killing her wasn't quite the message he wanted to send, seducing her seemed to be the safe route. That was until the actual moment he had touched her. The route suddenly became treacherous. She was the only one who was supposed to be affected, the only one enjoying it! Kissing Bonnie Bennett was a huge mistake. A mistake he wanted to repeat and this realisation was driving him crazy. This was partly the reason he had spent the latter part of the night drinking himself senseless and mentally chanting _'Elena is the woman I want' _in a mantra like fashion. Of one thing Damon was sure. This entire phase of little witch lusting would come to an abrupt end once Elena was back. Now more than ever, he was feeling the absence of Elena.

"Ugh" Damon hissed out as he brought a protective hand to shield his eyes from a sudden flash of light.

Stefan continued to pull the heavy curtains wider before turning to look at his older brother, who was sprawled shirtless on the couch. "What are you doing, Damon?"

"Oh Stefan, you're back. Could you run down to the cellar and grrrab some more booze? We're running short here"

"I think you've had enough" Stefan said whilst indicating with a hand at the empty bottles exhibited on the floor.

"I'm alrrright" Damon replied, unable to disguise the blatant slur in his words.

Stefan sighed and decided to get to the point before his brother could repeat his request, "Bonnie is gone, Damon. You were supposed to keep an eye on her."

Damon sat up slowly before swinging his legs off the couch. He stood up, groaning briefly before fixing Stefan with a questioning look, "What?"

"I said Bonnie isn't in the house. I looked everywhere and if you weren't too busy drinking yourself into a stupor; you would have heard her leave!" Stefan snapped.

"I wasn't aware that I was going to be a damn babysitter!" Damon said gruffly, his voice taking on an undercurrent of complete irritation.

"We have to look for her. Katherine could be anywhere and this is a small town. Just get dressed!" Stefan was already moving towards the exit as he said this.

Damon grabbed his shirt that he had flung over a chair the night before and quickly put his arms through it. He didn't bother to button it first before rushing out the house with his brother, "_Damn you, little witch!_" He muttered beneath his breath.

Bonnie was blissfully unaware of the heroic duo that were attempting to track her. Taking a deep breath, she walked quickly into The Grill. Without wasting any time, she quickly scanned the scene for familiar faces. Her breath caught in her throat before she screamed out the single name, "Jenna?" not caring much for the attention she'd drawn to herself, she ran towards the woman who had just turned around from a conversation with Sheriff Forbes. Bonnie gathered Jenna in her arms and hugged her tight, "Oh my God! Are you alright? I thought..." she choked out, tears flowing freely.

"Bonnie, yes I'm fine. It's Elena and Jeremy. They're missing." Jenna replied, sobbing.

Bonnie broke away from her for a moment to look at her face. The dark circles around her eyes and their blood-shot state were a clear sign of sleepless nights. "Jenna, everything is going to be alright," she whispered, hoping that her words would be of some comfort to the distraught woman. Bonnie noticed that the Sheriff was still standing a short distance away, looking as if she was waiting for something, "Are you supposed to go somewhere with Sheriff Forbes?", Bonnie asked.

"Yes, she came over to tell me about the ongoing investigation"

Bonnie nodded quickly before giving her a farewell hug, "Ok, I'll speak to you soon. And please Jenna, take care of yourself"

Bonnie watched the two women disappear out of sight before looking around again. She had been strictly vigilant since leaving the boarding house that morning. She was still shocked at how easily she managed to escape. _Some protector!_ She scoffed inwardly when she recalled her encounter with an unconscious Damon. She scribed 'alcoholic' onto her list of mental descriptions of him...fitting it perfectly above 'psycho' and right under 'jackass'.

Her mental perusing was interrupted when she was tapped on the shoulder. Whirling around in an almost too panicky way, she brought her hand to her chest in relief, 'Oh, hi Matt"

"Hey Bonnie, are you alright? You seem a bit jumpy"

"No, I'm ok" she said with a smile, "How's Caroline doing? I'm sorry; I wasn't able to visit these past two days"

"Yeah, she's better. The doctors said she's making a full recovery and will be discharged in no time." He replied happily.

"That's great!" she said, her smile growing wider briefly before disappearing completely.

Matt watched her expression grow darker and her face contort with panic, "What's wrong?"

"Uh Matt, I have to go now" she said hurriedly before rushing towards the backdoor.

Bonnie just couldn't shake off the feeling. It was a cold foreboding feeling that ran through her body. There was something around, something was watching her. She didn't know what or who but she could almost taste the danger. She quickened her steps into a slow jog when she came to the middle of an alley, looking back a few times to check if she was being followed. Everything started happening too quickly and she was struggling to absorb it all even as her head slammed into a brick wall. The pain shot like an electric bolt through her scalp and she had to make a huge effort to open her eyes to look at her attacker. "Hello Bonnie. What you doing out all alone?"

Bonnie opened her lips slightly but she was too numb with pain at that point to say anything more than a feeble, "Katherine?"

"I'm glad the boys haven't forgotten to introduce me to you" the vampire purred in her ear while pinning her tighter against the damp wall.

"Where, where's Elena?" Bonnie asked hoarsely.

"Aw, even in this here predicament you're still thinking about your little friend. Seriously, I'm welling up"

"Are you going to kill me right now?"

"Hmm, maybe...I'm so bored you see. Everything has gone all quiet. I'm a bit apprehensive that the boys have forgotten how serious I am about my threats"

There were no more words to be said. Bonnie watched horrified as the face in front of her changed into full-blown vampiric form. A scream escaped her as the vampire swooped down and bit hard into her delicate neck, sucking violently and making guttural sounds as the blood gushed into her mouth. But then she broke away, licking her lips briefly, "Just a message to the boys. No offence, ok?" Katherine said mockingly before roughly dropping a frail Bonnie. Then like a puff of air, she was gone.

Bonnie stayed down for a moment, fighting to catch her breath. But when she finally struggled to rise, a crippling wave of dizziness drove her back to the ground. She brought shaky fingers to her neck and moaned when they came away sticky. Feeling herself getting weaker and weaker, she couldn't quite believe that her life was going to slip away in any moment. This was her last thought before the drumming in her ears faded away to silence and she gave in to an all-consuming ever-present darkness.


End file.
